I think that many of the members of my parents’ and grandparents’ generations laugh a little bit every time they hear someone from a younger generation get excited about something that is rustic or vintage. Why would you want something that is so old? or why would you make something new look old? Regardless, I still love both the rustic and vintage trends that I see around. There is just something charming about items that have history, or at least seem to. If you are a fellow rustic fan, you’ll love the look I have for you today: a neutral rustic bedroom.
The charm of this room, to me, lies in that it is so simple yet each item has something to say, to contribute to the room. A combination of small, homespun features add up to create a calm, homey room.
9 Ideas for a Neutral Rustic Bedroom
1. Start at the Top
In a room filled with neutrals, a variety of textures and techniques helps guide your eye from one feature to the next. The exposed wood ceiling beams draw the eye up and help the room feel bigger, as well as looking wonderful! Learn how to install faux wood ceiling beams with Remodelando La Casa’s tutorial.
2. Plank It
Some wainscoting or wall textures would break the old and rustic look of the room. A plank wall is rustic and can be distressed as you like, adding texture and charm without distracting from the overall feel of the room. See how we installed our plank wall.
3. Dress the Windows
Bamboo shades are versatile and can fit into many different room styles. In this room, they reinforce the natural textures without drawing too much attention to themselves.
4. Create Your Own Art
The art hanging above the bed would look out of place in just about any other room, but it fits the eclectic and homespun feel of this room perfectly. DIY some art of your own by adapting one of these great ideas to your color scheme or by collecting random older items that match the tones of the room and assembling a mish-mash piece of art yourself.
5. Vary the Textures
The rough natural textures of the wood beams, bamboo shades, and woven bed frame work together well. Adding in a few tarnished metal accents, like the vase and lamp, add modern touches without seeming out of place. Try this simple mercury glass lamp for your room.
6. Make Old New, or Vice Versa
Watch thrift stores and yard sales for old pieces of furniture to add to the room, like the awesome metal chair. A coat of spray paint and some sandpaper can change the color and amount of “age” as desired. Of course, something new can always be made to look old, too. Adding a distressed wood top to the metal table base makes for a great side table to fit the feel of the room.
7. Decorate Neutral
Neutral doesn’t mean boring or all solids, however. A bed set in all tan or cream would have fit this room, but it would have felt blah instead of interesting. Mix it up by using different neutral and subtle patterns, like the stripes, herringbones, and geometric patterns pictured.
8. Paint It
Sometimes when you are looking for a truly old piece of furniture, the thrifting gods smile upon you and there it is — affordable, geniunely old, but still sturdy and usable. More often than not, though, the old and distressed look needs some help making its way into your home. Use chalk paint or milk paint to give the piece of furniture an older look, and you can use this Vaseline trick to help the distressing look more natural, too.
9. DIY Some Texture
The woven look of the bamboo shades is echoed by the bed frame. The rough rope texture and pattern of the headboard and footboard is a focal point of the room. DIY a similar look following this tutorial from Our Fifth House or these instructions from Design Sponge — or sub in rope or jute tape and follow this project plan from Lowe’s Creative Ideas.
More simple rustic bedroom inspiration:
Looking for ideas for other rooms?
Check out our Get This Look archives, such as
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Built-In Bench Banquette | Colorful Casual Living Room | Mixed Patterns Master Bedroom
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